TONNES PER CENTIMETRE IMMERSION (TPC)

The TPC for any given draught is the weight which must be
loaded or discharged to change the ship’s mean draught by one
centimetre.
Consider the ship shown floating in salt water (RD 1.025) with
a waterplane area (WPA) at the waterline as shown.

WPA (m2)

A weight ‘w’ tonnes is loaded on deck so that the mean draught

increases by 1 cm.
w

SAQ
What is the mass of the additional ‘slice’ of displaced water
equal to?
TPC (MAR Rev. 03/01/01) 1
Answer
The mass of the additional slice of displaced water is the
same as the added weight ‘w’.

Since: Mass = Volume  Density

then: Added displacement = Vol. of slice  density.
If the WPA is assumed to not significantly change between
the two waterlines, then:
Added displacement = (WPA(m2)  1 cm)  density;

Added displacement = WPA(m2)  1 (m)  density;

100

Thus, the formula for TPC is given by:

TPC = WPA  
100

SAQ
Calculate the TPC for ship with a waterplane area of 1500
m2 when it is floating in:
(a) salt water; (b) fresh water; (c) dock water of RD 1.005.

TPC (MAR Rev. 03/01/01) 2

Answer
TPC = WPA  
100

a) TPC = 1500  1.025 = 15.375

100

b) TPC = 1500  1.000 = 15.000

100

c) TPC = 1500  1.005 = 15.075

100

Consideration of the TPC formula indicates that:

* TPC increases with WPA and for a normal ship-shape
the WPA will increase with draught.
* TPC increases with density. Two values of TPC are often
quoted in ship’s hydrostatic data, TPCSW and TPCFW.

TPC values for the draught range of a ship allow us to calculate

how much cargo/ballast etc. to load or discharge to achieve a
required draught.

Sinkage/Rise (cms) = w
TPC

where ‘w’ represents the total weight that is loaded or

discharged to change the draught of the ship.
TPC (MAR Rev. 03/01/01) 3
DRAUGHT DISPL. DISPL. TPC TPC MCTC MCTC KMt KB LCB LCF
m t t t t t-m t-m m m foap foap
SW FW SW FW SW FW m m
RD 1.025 RD 1.000 RD 1.025 RD 1.000 RD 1.025 RD 1.000
7.00 14576 14220 23.13 22.57 184.6 180.1 8.34 3.64 70.03 67.35
6.90 14345 13996 23.06 22.50 183.0 178.5 8.35 3.58 70.08 67.46
6.80 14115 13771 22.99 22.43 181.4 177.0 8.36 3.53 70.12 67.57
6.70 13886 13548 22.92 22.36 179.9 175.5 8.37 3.48 70.16 67.68
6.60 13657 13324 22.85 22.29 178.3 174.0 8.38 3.43 70.20 67.79
6.50 13429 13102 22.78 22.23 176.8 172.5 8.39 3.38 70.24 67.90
6.40 13201 12879 22.72 22.17 175.3 171.0 8.41 3.33 70.28 68.00
6.30 12975 12658 22.66 22.11 173.9 169.6 8.43 3.28 70.32 68.10
6.20 12748 12437 22.60 22.05 172.5 168.3 8.46 3.22 70.35 68.20
6.10 12523 12217 22.54 21.99 171.1 167.0 8.49 3.17 70.38 68.30
6.00 12297 11997 22.48 21.93 169.8 165.7 8.52 3.11 70.42 68.39
5.90 12073 11778 22.43 21.87 168.5 164.4 8.55 3.06 70.46 68.43
5.80 11848 11559 22.37 21.82 167.3 163.2 8.59 3.01 70.50 68.57
5.70 11625 11342 22.32 21.77 166.1 162.1 8.63 2.95 70.53 68.65
5.60 11402 11124 22.26 21.72 165.0 161.0 8.67 2.90 70.57 68.73
5.50 11180 10908 22.21 21.66 163.9 160.0 8.71 2.85 70.60 68.80
5.40 10958 10691 22.15 21.61 162.9 158.9 8.76 2.80 70.64 68.88
5.30 10737 10476 22.10 21.56 161.8 157.9 8.81 2.74 70.68 68.95
5.20 10516 10260 22.05 21.51 160.8 156.9 8.86 2.69 70.72 69.02
5.10 10296 10045 22.00 21.46 159.8 155.9 8.92 2.63 70.75 69.09
5.00 10076 9830 21.95 21.41 158.8 154.9 8.98 2.58 70.79 69.16
4.90 9857 9616 21.90 21.36 157.9 154.0 9.06 2.53 70.82 69.23
4.80 9638 9403 21.85 21.32 156.9 153.1 9.13 2.48 70.86 69.29
4.70 9420 9190 21.80 21.27 156.0 152.2 9.22 2.43 70.90 69.35
4.60 9202 8978 21.75 21.22 155.1 151.3 9.30 2.38 70.93 69.42
4.50 8985 8766 21.70 21.17 154.2 150.5 9.40 2.32 70.96 69.48
4.40 8768 8554 21.65 21.12 153.3 149.6 9.49 2.27 71.00 69.55
4.30 8552 8344 21.60 21.07 152.4 148.7 9.60 2.22 71.04 69.62
4.20 8336 8133 21.55 21.02 151.5 147.8 9.71 2.17 71.08 69.68
4.10 8121 7923 21.50 20.97 150.6 146.9 9.83 2.12 71.12 69.74
4.00 7906 7713 21.45 20.93 149.7 146.0 9.96 2.07 71.15 69.81
3.90 7692 7505 21.40 20.88 148.7 145.1 10.11 2.01 71.18 69.88
3.80 7478 7296 21.35 20.83 147.8 144.2 10.25 1.96 71.22 69.94
3.70 7265 7088 21.30 20.78 146.8 143.3 10.41 1.91 71.25 70.00
3.60 7052 6880 21.24 20.72 145.9 142.3 10.57 1.86 71.29 70.07
3.50 6840 6673 21.19 20.67 144.9 141.3 10.76 1.81 71.33 70.14
TPC
THESE HYDROSTATIC PARTICULARS (MAR
HAVE Rev. 03/01/01)
BEEN DEVELOPED WITH THE VESSEL FLOATING ON EVEN 4
KEEL.
SAQ
A ship has an initial mean draught of 5.10 m in salt water
and is required to complete loading with a draught of 6.40 m.
Using the hydrostatic particulars calculate the amount of
cargo that must be loaded.

The answer may be calculated in two ways:

Method 1
1. Read off the displacements (SW) for both the initial and
required final draughts.
2. Subtract the smaller from the larger.
3. Result equals the amount to load.

Method 2
1. Read off the TPC SW values for both the initial and required
final draughts.
2. Calculate the mean TPCSW value.
3. Calculate the required change in draught; in this case
sinkage.
4. Use the formula:
Sinkage/Rise (cms) = w
TPC

to find ‘w’, the amount to load.

TPC (MAR Rev. 03/01/01) 5

Answer
Method 1
Initial draught 5.10 m SW = 10296 t
Required draught 6.40 m SW = 13201 t
Cargo to load = 2905 t

Method 2
Initial draught 5.10 m TPCSW = 22.00
Required draught 6.40 m TPCSW = 22.72

Mean TPCSW = 22.00 + 22.72 = 22.36

2
Sinkage (cms) = 6.40 m - 5.10 m = 1.30 m = 130 cms

Sinkage (cms) = w
TPCSW

Cargo to load (w) = Sinkage  Mean TPCSW

= 130  22.36 = 2906.80 t

The answers may differ slightly because in using the mean
value of TPC it is assumed that the TPC value will change
linearly between the range of draughts concerned.
SAQ
Had the ship been floating in fresh water (FW), would the
amount of cargo to load be the same to achieve the required
draught of 6.40 m in fresh water.
TPC (MAR Rev. 03/01/01) 6
Answer
Method 1
Initial draught 5.10 m FW = 10045 t
Required draught 6.40 m FW = 12879 t
CARGO TO LOAD = 2834 t

Method 2
Initial draught 5.10 m TPCFW = 21.46
Required draught 6.40 m TPCFW = 22.17

Mean TPCFW = 21.46 + 22.17 = 21.815

2
Sinkage (cms) = 6.40 m - 5.10 m = 1.30 m = 130 cms

Sinkage (cms) = w
TPCFW

Cargo to load (w) = Sinkage  Mean TPCFW

= 130  21.815 = 2835.95 t

* The displacement for the correct density must be used in all
calculations.

* The TPC for the density in which the ship is loading in

should be used in calculations.

* It is usual to calculate the amount to load on the basis of

the required salt water draught.
TPC (MAR Rev. 03/01/01) 7